Automatic safety device for railway-trains.



I R, G. LACY. AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY TRAINS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1914.

ill fifi fi Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

, i avvvewifofia 75' @(ZZ EECHARD C. LACY, 0F CAMDEN, NEW] JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC SAFETY DEVICE FOR RAILWAY-TRAINS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

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Patented Feb Application filed npril 24, 1914. Serial No. 8%,243.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, RICHARDYC. LACY, citizen of the United States, residing at Camden, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Safety Devices for Railway-Trains, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in automatic safety devices for railway trains, and contemplates more particularly mechanism whereby should the engineer of a train fail to observe a danger signal or should be unable to observe such'signal due to weather conditions, the train upon passing the danger signal will be automatically stopped, said mechanism operating to apply the brakes.

The invention has as its primary object to provide mechanism of this character which may be operated simultaneously with the operation of a semaphore signal as usually employed and so arranged as to' contact with mechanism carried by the train whereby the brakes may be applied should the train pass the semaphore when set to indicate that the train should stop.

A further object of the invention is to provide mechanism of this character including a support, which may be positioned adjacent the semaphore, the support carrying an arm which may be so projected as to coact'with a trip carried by the locomotive, said trip being operatively connected to the air brake valve whereby the action of the trip will effect the actuation of the brakes to stop the train.

The invention has as a still further object to provide mechanism of this character including a support carrying a pivotally mounted arm arranged to be projected into the path of a trip carried by the train and of providing resilient cushion means for the armarranged to absorb any shock or strain incident to the contact of the arm with the tri "i Vith these and other objects in view my invention will be more fully described illustrated-in the accompanying drawings and then specifically pointed out in the claims which are attached to and form a part of this application.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a composite view showing a front elevation of an engine, the engine carrying the trip mechanism and also showing the signal of the support, the pivot pin mechanism arranged adjacent the track, the signal mechanism being shown in operative position and arranged to engage the trip mechanism carried by the engine. Fig. 2' is a detail perspective View of the trip mechanism carried by the train, Fig, 3 is a side elevation partly broken away showing the manner in which the arm carried by the sup" port is pivotally connected thereto, and Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of the upper portion of the support showing the arm pivotally connected to the supp the support being shown in sectionsft view particularly illustrating the disposition of the springs arranged to absorb lateral. stra n upon the arm, incident to the contact of arm with the trip mechanism.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

My improved safety appliance includes support 10 which is preferably arranged adj acent the railway track upon one side there of, the support also being preferably positioned adjacent a semaphore. in the drawings, l have conventionally illustrated as a matter of convenience, a semaphore includ ing a post 11, upon which is pivotally mounted the arm 12. The support 10 may be formed of any suitable material, but in the drawings I have shown said support as constructed from a strip of suitable sheet metal bent. intermediate its ends to provide outwardly and downwardly diverging legs 13 which are laterally bent adjacent their free extremitiesto provide flanges is; which are bolted or otherwise secured to a base 15 Pivotally mounted between the legs 18 of the support adjacent the upper extremities thereof is an arm 16. Said arm is proton ably formed from a suitable metallic ii which is bent longitudinal y adjacent inner extremity of the rm dispose tically with relation to the the arm. Th arm 16 is mount suitable pivot pin 18 which exten the arm medially thereof adjacerr 17 formed therein and through tachably connected to the suppo if for any reason the arm bccon) or in the erent it 1' 1 wise impair" tilted.

positioned upon each .side of the arm 16 is a compression spring 19. The arm 16 is mounted to slide longitudinally upon the pivot pin 18 and is also mounted to have a certain degree of horizontal swinging mo tion thereon, the springs 19 being arranged to bear against each adjacent face of the arm to thus maintain it in proper spaced relation medially of the arms 13 of the support. By this construction it will be observed that any shock or blow coming upon the free extremity 20 of the arm, incident to the contact of the arm with trip mechanism carried by the train which will be hereinafter described, will be absorbed by the compression springs 19, such shock or blow causing 3 the free extremity of the arm to be swung slightly horizontally against the tension of; said springs. ture of my invention in that any undue strain upon the arm of the support, incident to the contact of the arm with said trip mechanism, is eliminated, and by such arrangement, injury to the trip mechanism is also obviated.

Extending transversely between the legs 13 of the support in advance of the pivot pin 18 and arranged slightly below said pm is a bolt or other suitable rod 21 which provides a support for the free extremity 20o f the arm 16 when swung to operative position, the pin 21 being so arranged as to support the free extremity 20 of said arm in horizontal relation parallel with the track, conventionally shown at 22. I

It is to be understood that the arm 16 may be operatively connected with the arm 12 of the semaphore in any suitable manner so that when the arm 12 is actuated, the arm' 16 will also be moved. However, in the drawings, 1 have shown the arm 12 as being pivotal] y connected by a suitable link or rod 23 with one arm of the bellcrank lever 24 mounted at the. base of the post 11, a cable 25 being connected to the opposite arm of said bell crank lever, it being understood, of course, that the semaphore is operated by such cable. Pivotally connected to the innerextremity of the arm 16 is a second link 26 which is also connected to a bell crank lever 27 mounted upon one leg 13 of the support 10 and connecting the bell crank lever 27 and the bell crank lever 21 is a link 28. By this arrangement, it will be noted that when the cable 25 is operated, the arm 12 of the semaphore will be lowered while the free extremity of the arm 16 will be raised, it being understood that a reverse movement of the cable 25 will cause va'reverse movement of-ithe arms 12 and 16. Thus, when the arm 12 of the semaphore is set to indicate danger, the arm 16 will also be set to project horizontally above the track in the path of the trip mechanism carried by This is a very important feal positioned at as many points along the rail-v way track as desired, and preferably, such mechanism should be placed adjacent each semaphore so that automatic control may be had over the trains passing over the track at each block. Each train should preferably carry a trip mechanism, which shall. now be described. Such mechanism may be positioned at any convenient point upon the locomotive or motor car as the case may be, but should of course, be arranged to enact with the arm 16 when such arm is'swung into operative position. 7

In Fig. 1 of the drawings, 1 have shown the trip mechanism as applied to the roof of a locomotive cab. Such mechanism is preferably mounted upon a base 29 and preferably includes a 'crank arm or lever 30 which is mounted in suitable bearings 31 secured to the base 29. Surrounding the intermediate portion of the lever 30, medially of the bearings 31 is a helical spring 32, such spring normally acting to maintain the arm 33 of said lever in vertical position, the arm at thereof being held against the base 29. The arm 34: is preferably formed with a terminal eye 35 and is operatively connected with the air brake valve carried by the locomotive. Since the connection between the eye 35 and such ail. brake valve forms no part of my invention, it will not be described, nor does the specific construction of said valve enter into the present invention. However, it is to be understood that the arm 34: of the lever 30 is to be so connected with the air brake valve that when the arm 33 of said lever is actuated against the tension of the spring 32 by the free extremity 20 of the arm 16, said valve will be operatedin such a man ner as to apply the brakes to a train. T he arm 34 may also be operatively connected in any suitable manner with thethrottle of the locomotive so that before the brakes are applied, the seam may be cut o'll'.

It will be observed that under normal conditions, the arm 33 of the lever 30 is ar-- ranged to project upwardly from the base 29, and as above stated, is designed to coact with the free extremity '20 of the arm 16. The arm 16 when in operative position or the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, will engage the arm 33, causing it to be rotated and thus eiiect the actuation of the arm 34 which in turn being connected to the air brake valve will cause the brakes to be applied. Upon passing the arm 16, the

spring 32 Will act to return the crank arm or lever 30 to its normal position so that such arm may be always automatically set to be engaged at any signal point. It will further be noted that by employing the spring 32, the shock incident to the contact of the arm 33 with the free extremity of the arm 16 is relieved and undue strain upon the parts is thereby obviated. As will be well understood, the railway block being open, the arm 12 is lowered. As previously explained, this will cause the free extremity of the arm 16 to be raised to inoperative position so that the free extremity of said arm is disposed out of the path of the trip mechanism carried by the train. Thus, my im proved safety appliance is absolutely positive in its operation since it is actuated with the operation of the semaphore to which it is connected, being automatic in its operation when the semaphore is set to indicate danger and being so arranged that the train may be allowed to pass when the semaphore is set to indicate that the block is open.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-is: v p 1. In safety devices for railways, an arm arranged at one side of the track and mounted to move both laterally and vertically and to be projected into and out of the path of a. trip mounted upon the train and connected with the part to be actuated, and means arranged to exert a lateral yielding pressure against each side of the arm,

substantially as set forth.

2. In safety devices for railways, an arm exerting a lateral ylelding pressure against opposite sides of the arm. 1

3. In safety devices for railways, an arm arranged at one side of the track and having its end portions arranged in right angularly disposed planes, a pin having said arm pivotally and laterally movably mounted thereon, and yieldable means mounted upon end portions of the pin and exerting a lateral yielding pressure against opposite sides of the arm. I

4. In safety devices for railways adapted to be operated by the train, a support at one side of the track embodying spaced members, a pin mounted in the members and extending across the space formed between them, an arm slidably and pivotally mounted upon the pin, and yieldable means mounted uponend portions of the pin between the arm and members of the support and exerting a'yielding pressure against opposite sides of the arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my in presence of two witnesses. RICHARD LACY. [1,. 15.] Witnesses:

AUGUST SEEMAN, WILLIAM P. VVEIsER.

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